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The Origin of selected Coffee

Published: 2026-02-26 Author: World Gafei

Last Updated: 2026/02/26, In an exclusive interview with Tea and Coffee in 1974, Erna Knutsen was the first to use the term Specialty Coffee to describe premium coffee beans with excellent flavor, which is different from commercial coffee (Commercial Coffee), which focuses only on marketing rather than quality. The United States was the largest consumer of coffee in the world, with almost all merchants in the market at that time.

In an exclusive interview with Tea and Coffee in 1974, Erna Knutsen was the first to use the term "Specialty Coffee" to describe premium coffee beans with excellent flavor, which is different from commercial coffee (Commercial Coffee), which focuses only on marketing rather than quality.

The United States is the world's largest consumer of coffee. At that time, the market was dominated by commercial coffee, and Americans grew bored because of their poor flavor. Nusen's call to the top has undoubtedly established the trend status of selected coffee.

Nusen, who immigrated to the United States from Norway as a child, did not come into contact with coffee until he was in his 40s, first as an executive secretary at a coffee company in San Francisco (B.C. Ireland). At that time, she found that the company's imported robusta beans were sold in large quantities to well-known General Foods (General Foods) and Sears Brothers (Hills Bros.) The company. These companies mainly deal in commercial coffee, mixing robusta beans into products to make bottled or instant coffee, which is then marketed throughout the United States with intensive advertising.

At that time, although the company also imported high-quality Arabica beans, but the demand was pitifully small, usually less than one container (about 250bags, or 15000 kilograms). Nusen tried to sell these high-quality beans to local small roasters, and the results were quite smooth, showing that regional coffee makers pay more attention to flavor and have a group of coffee confidants. Nusen went on to promote a selection of coffee with a small number of transactions, achieving extraordinary success, and finally even ascended to the throne of president.

Nusen has won the Lifetime contribution Award (Lifetime Contribution Award) from the American selected Coffee Association (SCAA) and serves as a director of the Association. In 1986, she founded the Nusen Coffee Company (Knutsen Coffee Ltd.), located in Sacramento, California, with a high position in the selection coffee market.